House car



Feb. 9, 1937. c. H. 'WILLIAMSON 2,059,986

HOUSE CAR Filed bv. 2, 1933 s sheets-sheet 1 Feb. 9, 1937.

C. H. WILLIAMSON I HOUSE CAR Filed NOV. 2, 1933 fige l E515 ffy/(3)91( 32j?. W ,m g, wf l'! 'di' "Uf n d Eia/ j!) 11W/fr' T l. lh.'

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c. H. WILLIAMSON f HOUSE CAR Filed Nov. 2, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 @Agg Patented Feb. 9, 1937 PATENToFl-lca 2,069,986 noUsE can Clarence-B. Williamson, Cleveland, Ohio, assigner to The Youngstown Steel Door Company, Clevef land, Ohio, a.V corporation of hio n l i Application November 2, 1933, Serial No. 696,369

9 claims. l11. 105-499) /1 This invention relates to improvements in house carV and more particularly an all steel house car converted from a single wood sheathed house car.

lMany box cars of the type commonly known as single wood sheathed house cars with standard steel underframes, are owned by the railroads, such cars comprising a steel underframe .including channel `side sills; steel side plates usually of 10 special angle cross section: pressed steel side posts; pressed steel diagonal braces; sheet metal ends; and wood side wall sheathing applied to the inner sides of the posts and braces. Experience has shown that such cars have serious disadvantages, particularly on account of the wood sheathing, permitting leakage due to shrinkage of theboards, the common practice of driving nails therethrough when attaching the lading on theinterior of the car, and on account of abuse in the use o f pinch bars in forcing the doors into closed position. A great many of said cars are now in such condition as to be practically useless unless the sheathing is completely renewed, the steel or metal parts, however, being still serviceable. Railroad olcials, therefore, are confronted with the dilcult choice of either repairing such cars with new wood sheathing with the knowledge) that the same will be subject to the same disadvantages hereinabove pointed out, with the at- 80 tendant maintenance expense, or of providing an all steel car which will be free from the disadvantages pointed out and at the same .time have longer life and provide a more rigid car than the wood sheathed car. Furthermore, there is a deiinite tendency toward providingr cars of greater capacity than that oi the ordinary single wood sheathed car.

One object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an all steel car of such construction that a single wood sheathed car may be readily con-A verted thereto with a minimum expense for additional material and labor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a car of the type indicated in the preceding paragraph such that, in making the conversion from I vthe wood sheathed form to the all steel form, the apacity may be materiallyincreased without any change in the position or location of the underframe elements, side plates and side posts and at the same time reusing the usual metal car ends. More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide an all steel car wherein the metal sheathing is applied to the outer sides of the posts and so united to the side plates as to provide for location of the roof at yany desired dilane within reasonable limits above the side plates to thereby provide increased inside height and hence inlcreased capacity for the car with a given side wall framework.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly 5 appear from the description. and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawings forming a part of this applica# tion, Figure 1 is a side elevational view of approximately one half the length of a house car showing the improvements incorporated therein, parts being broken out to better accommodate the` gure on the sheet. Figures 2 and 3 are vertical, sectional views, upon enlarged scales, corresponding to the section lines 2-2 and 3 3 respectively of l5` Figure 1. Figure 4 is an enlarged detailed elevational ,view of the structure of one of the upper corners of the car. Figure 5 -is-a vertical, sectional view, corresponding to the section line 5-5 of Figure 4. Figure 6 is a horizontal, detailed sec- 20 tional View corresponding to the line 67-6 of Figure 4. Figure '7 is a detailed horizontal -sectional view corresponding to the yline 'l-1 of Figure 1. Figure '8 is a horizontal detailed sectional view, corresponding to the line 8-8 of Figure L, And 25 Figure 9 is a View similar to Figure 6, showing another embodiment of the connection between the side sheathing and car end.

In the drawings, only approximately one li 'all! Ythat the usual end sills, holsters and cross bearers will be employed therewith. One ofthe side plates is indicated at il, the same being oi 4o 'special angle formation such as commonly found in standard single wood sheathed cars at the present time, said side plate having an inner relatively deep dpending flange `I2 and an uppen outwardly inclined narrow iiange I l, said ange 45 I3 corresponding to the usualv slope of the roof and to which it is customary. in the ordinary wood sheathed car, to apply the roof sheets and carlines thereon with a consequent inside availr able clear height corresponding .to the height Aof 50 the side plate above the oor. One ofthe usual pressed side posts is indicated at I3, .the same being of generally U or bath tub section having 'a maximum depth at its intermediate portion Vand tapering inwardly and upwardly as indi- 55 cated at I|3 and inwardly and downwardly at its lower end as indicated at 2| 3. Said posts I3 at their ends, overlie and are riveted to the side plate and side sill, as shown. In carrying out the present invention, where the same is employed in a car converted from a wood sheathed car, the usual diagonaLpressed steel braces .are removed since the same are rendered unnecessary by reason oi' the metal sheathing hereinafter referred to. I'he posts I3, however, are left intact in a converted car without change or relocation of either the posts or the side plates with reference to the underframe.

One of the usual metal car ends is indicated at Il, Ythe same having vertically extending side flanges, as indicated at I I4. In carrying out the invention with reference to. a converted car, Z bar door posts are employed, one

'of the same being indicated at I5. Each door its web II5 extends parallel to the side wall of the car and with one iiange 2|5 adjacent the door opening, extended inwardly and the other ange 3| 5, extended outwardly. In a converted car, the door posts are turned through an angle of 90. with reference to their original position and that ilange referenced 3|5 is partially burned off so as to narrow the same and thus maintain the over-all width of the car. In its turned position, each door post is secured at its upperend to ythe depending flange I2 of the side plate, by a pair of angie plates I6 and I1 riveted to the ange 2|5 of the post and similarly secured at its bottom end to the side sillby the two angle plates I3 and I9. 'Ihe post is provided with the usual wood post ller as indicated at 20. At its upper end, the post I5 is shown with its web section beveled as indicated at II5 and the outer ange 3|5 coped, as indicated at 5|5, this formation corresponding to the original cutting of the postv in the wood sheathed car due to itsweb underlying the sloping ange|3 of the side plate.

In `carrying out the present invention, the metal sheathing indicated at 2| consists of a plurality of ilat sheet metal panels each of a width corresponding to spacings between adjacent pairs of posts, the adjacent vertical edges of the panels being lapped in line with the posts and riveted to the crest of the non-tapered portions oi the posts as indicated by the rivets The sheathingl is continued vertically upwardly in spaced relation tothe upper tapered ends oi.' the posts I3 as indicated at I2| and similarly is continued vertically downwardly in spaced' relation to the lower tapered ends of the posts I3, as indicated at'22I. The end panel adjacent the door post has its vertical edge lapped over the web 'l itsA II5 of the door post and riveted thereto as by the vertical series of rivets 23. 'I'he end panel adjacent the corner oi the car is united Vto the car end Il by means of an interposed and vertically extending formed Z plate 24, the latter having its/outer ange lapped over the corre sponding adjacent verticaledge of the sheathing. .and secured thereto by the vertical series of rivets 25 and its inner flange 4underlappe'd with the car end ange IM and secured to the latter by` 1 prised of a' longitudinally extending formed Z plate 27.` The 'latter is disposed with its web horizontal, its innerilange |2'I'exteuding downat the coped out sections, notched plates 30 are employed, the latter' being riveted to the underside of the web of the plate 21, as best shown in .Figures 3 and 8.

To provide for a simplied union between the upper edge of the sheathing and the side plate and at the same time make provision for attache ment and location oi' the roof sheets'at any desired distance above the side plate, a formed substantially Z sectioned member 3| is employed, the same preferably extending the full length of the car, the same as the side plate. Said member 3| is provided with a depending ilange I 3| overlying and riveted to the upper edge of the sheathing as by the horizontal series of rivets 3,2. 'Ihe web section 23| is conformed to the slope of the ilange I3 of the side plate and overlies the same, being rigidly united thereto either by spot welding or by the series of rivets 33 as shown. Where rivets are employed, the same may be so located as to reutilize the rivet holes previously in the flange I3 where the invention is carried out in a car converted from a wood sheathed car. The other inner flange 33| is extended upwardly the desired distance corresponding to the `increasedvinside height of the car desired, the down` turned edges of the roof sheets 3| and ends oi' the carlines being secured thereto as by the horizontal series of rivets 35. In the construction shown, the increased clear inside height of the car over the wood sheathed car prior to conversionis approximately four,

the side wall structure becomes a rigid girder with lthe top chord formed by the side plate II and Z member 3| and the lower chord by the side sill I0 and Z member 21.

To permit of the increased inside height o f the car when reusing the metal car ends Il, the latter are cut o1! along the line 33, that is, in a line slightly belowV the upper edge of the side plate, .thus removing the usual upper sections oi the car ends which are formed tocorrespond withthe roof slope. Car end extension plates 3Iare then added, the same being overlapped and riveted the cut oil car end, the extension plate 3'I-having an inturned ange 38 to which is riveted an angle plate 39, the latter in turn being riveted to' th corner construction about to be described. v

' 'At each comer, the side plate is cut oilA on the line indicated at so as to terminate adjacent the vertical Z connecting member v24 and, similarly, the web and ange sections 23| and I3| of the Z member 3| are cut oil' at the same point. A weather seal joint oi' all the members meeting at'the corner is provided by a corner cap casting 40 so constructed as to conform to the vertical attaching member 24, Z member 3| and car end and being riveted to all of said members, as shown. The upstanding -flange 33| of the side plate Z3| is suitably oifsetin line with the vertical edge of the cap 'casting and a ller II interposed between .it and the adjacent wall of the cap casting and all including the angle plate 39 securely united by the rivets 42;

The car is preferably nished with an inner wood lining, the lower portion of which, up to the usual guard rail, is preferably comprised of thicker boards as indicated at 43 and the remaining V portion up to the side plate by thinner boards 44.

. above the door 41 and shedding strips 48 are preioverlying and securedv carrying member.

erably employed, each vextending from post to post and located as best shown in Figure 3.

The oor 41. between door post and corresponding ends of the -car is supported along its outer edge on the web of the Z member 21 as shown in Figure 3; In the doorway, the outer edge of the ooring is supported by an angle 49 riveted to the side sill andl an interposed wood ller 50. Preferably, also, a longitudinally extending formed approximately Z-shaped plate 5I is employed to additionally support the ooring, the same being interposed between and secured to the underside of the oor and the top ange of the side sill, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.` With this construction, oor boards of lesser thickness may be employed than in a car prior to conversion without changing the distance oi the iioor level above the tracks. -Over the door .opening and to one side thereof, a combinededoor guiding and retaining plate 52 is riveted to the depending ange l 3l.

Referring next to |the modiiication shown in Figure 9, the sheathing 32| is shown extended almost to the plane of. the metal -car end 2M and in this construction, the car n'd has its usual side ilange cut oif so that the car end terminates inthe line 3M and the union between the sheathing and the car end is made by means of a vertically l changes and modications may'obviously be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and all such changes and modiilcations are contemplated that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

I 1. A house car comprising: an underirame including a metal side sill; a metal load carrying member extending substantially from end to end of the car having lan outwardly extending ilange; metal posts secured at their top and bottom ends to' said load carrying member and sill; sheet metal sheathing secured to the outer sides of said posts; means connecting the lower edge of the sheathing with the side sill; and means uniting the upper edge of the sheathing to the load carrying member, including a longitudinally extending connecting member having a depending ilange connected to the upper edge of e sheathing and a section said flange of said load 2. A house car comprising: an underframe` including a metal side sill; a metal load carrying member Vextending substantially from end to end of the car having an outwardly extending flange;

metal posts, -secured at their top and bottom ends A to said load carrying member and sill; sheet-metal sheathing secured to the outer sides of said posts; means connecting the lower edge of the 'sheathing with the side sill;v roof sheets; fand means for uniting the side edges of;V the roof sheets and the upper edge of the sheathing with the load carrying member comprising a longitudinallyextending connecting member having an upstanding flange attached to the roof sheets and a depending iiange attached to the upper edge of the sheathing independently of said side plate.

3. A house car including: a metal side sill, a metal load carrying member extending substantially from end to end of the car having-a depending ilange and an upper outwardly extend- Aing flange; metal posts secured at their lower ends ing a longitudinally extending-connecting plate having a section overlying and secured to said outwardly extending ange and an outer depending ange overlapping and secured to the upper edge of the sheathing. A

4. A house car having a metal side sill; a metal load carrying member extending substantially" from end to end of' the car; metal sideposts secured at their top and bottom ends to the load carrying member and sill, said posts being oft maximum depth at their central portions and\ v tapering inwardly toward their top ends; metal sheathing secured to the outer sidesv of said posts at said central portions and extending up wardly in a vertical plane spaced outwardly of the upper tapered ends of the posts; and connecting means for attaching the upper edge of the sheathing -to the load carrying member in spaced relation Ato the upper ends of the posts, said means being extended over and secured to the top oi the load carrying memhen 5. A house car having a metal side sill; a metal load carrying member extending substantially from end vto end of the car with an upper outwardly extending flange; metal side posts se.

A cured at their top and Abottom ends to the load carrying member and sill, said posts being of.

maximum depthv at-their central portions4 and tapering inwardly at their top ends; metal sheathing secured to the outer sides of said posts at said central portions and extending. upwardly in a vertical plane spaced outwardly of -said tapered ends of the posts; roof sheets spaced above` web thereof extending parallel to the car side and the ange thereof-.adjacent the door opening extending outwardly and narrowed relative to the' other vflange to thereby maintain the over-all width of the car;l and metal sheathing secured to the outer sides of the side posts and lapped, at its edges adjacent the door posts, over the webs of the latter and secured thereto.

7. A house car including: a metal underframe f including a side sill; a load carrying member extending substantially from end to end of the car of angular section having an outwardly extending ange; metal side and door posts secured at their upper and lower ends to said load carrying member and sill; sheet metal side wall sheathing secured to the outer faces of said side posts and door posts; metal car ends terminating at their upper edges approximately at the upper level of the. load carrying member; car end extension plates secured to said car ends and extending above-the load carrying member; roof sheets; means uniting the lower edge of the'sheathing to the side sill; and a longitudinally extending Z sectioned lconnecting member having its web overlying and secured to'said flange of .the load carrying member, its outer ilange depending and secured to the upper edge of the sheathing, and its inner flange' extending upwardly and secured to the roof sheets. I

8. A converted house car of the character described including: a. metal underframe including side sills, sheet metal ends, load carrying members extending substantially from end to end of the car and metal side posts, the latter being secured to the load carrying members and sills, they said load carrying membersv and 'posts corresponding in position and location to those of a 'standard steel underframe, single wood sheathed box car; metal sheathing secured to the outer faces of said posts; means uniting the lower edge of the sheathing with the side sills; Z sectioned connecting members extending lengthwise of the load carrying members and each having an outer "depending flange and an inner upwardly extending iflange, the former being united with the upper redges of the sheathing independentlyof the side plates; and metal roong secured along its side edges t9 said upstanding anges of the Zv members and supported and spaced by the latter above the tops of the loadV carrying members, whereby to' provide-greater inside clear height than that of the car prior to conversion.

- 9. A converted house car of the character described including a metal underframe including 'side sills, sheet metal ends, load carrying members extending substantially from end to end of the car and metal side posts,'the latter being secured to the load carrying members and sills, the said load-carrying members and posts corresponding in position and location to those of a standard steel vunderframe, single wood sheathed box car; metal sheathing secured to the outer faces of said posts; means uniting the lower edge `of the sheathing with the side sills; Z sectioned connecting members extending lengthwise of the load carrying members and each having anv outer depending' ange and an inner upwardly extending flange, the former being united with the upper edges of the sheathing; metalroong secured along its side edges to said upstanding anges of the Z connecting members and supported and spaced by the latter above the tops of the load carrying members, whereby to provide greater inside clear height than that of the 

